Top-Ranked Wrestler Suffers Spinal Cord Injury
It's always saddening when the unfortunate events in my fiction are reflected in reality. In this odd combination of events in both my first and fourth novels (PINS and Every Time I Think of You), the top-ranked Class 1A wrestler in North Carolina has been left paralyzed after a freak accident on the mat in a tournament.
In the midst of going for a pin against his opponent, Luke Hampton lost his grip and went head-first into a padded wall.
The sheer force of the collision broke Calloway's C5 and C6 vertebrae. After being rushed rushed to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, it was confirmed that Calloway's injuries had left him paralyzed from the neck down.It should be noted that such accidents are rare in wrestling, but they do happen, as well as in other sports, most frequently in team and field sports.
The entire Alleghany community has rallied around Hampton following his injuries, holding prayer vigils and setting up a fund to help the family pay for medical costs. As the Associated Press reported, the goal is for the Alleghany High senior to increase his strength before heading to Shepherd Center, a hospital located in Atlanta, Ga., that specializes in spinal cord injuries.
The Winston-Salem Journal reports that a fundraiser basketball game will be held this Saturday to help the athlete's family.
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